V. Cecil Wright, MD

During colposcopy the practitioner must determine the surface extent of the lesion; identify the most abnormal colposcopic area(s) for biopsy(ies); and identify any areas suspicious for invasive cancer. After histological reporting, correlation determines whether the lesion can be safely ablated or if it must be excised to ascertain if a microinvasive or frankly invasive cancer is present. Patients usually present with abnormal cytology suggesting squamous disease of some grade.